So now President Donald Trump’s Cabinet remains incomplete since the boycotts have led to ANOTHER delay. From Reuters:

Democrats said they were delaying the vote because they wanted more information on Price’s stock trades in an Australian medical company and reports that Mnuchin’s former bank, OneWest, used automated “robosignings” of foreclosures, which apparently contradicted statements he made to senators.

Sen. Ron Wyden from Oregon said he boycotted the voting due to a Wall Street Journal article “that said Mr. Price had participated in a private stock offering open to just six individuals, directly contradicting testimony he gave the committee in a hearing last week.” The Journal reported:

During the earlier hearing and on several other occasions, Mr. Price has said the stock offering was open to all investors in the company, Innate Immunotherapeutics, which is developing a drug for multiple sclerosis. Mr. Price sat on a House panel that worked on legislation to speed up the process for drug approvals, which would help the company as it works to bring the drug to market.

“The evidence is the company is directly contradicting Congressman Price, indicating that he didn’t tell the truth and he misled the Congress, and he misled the American people,” Mr. Wyden said, standing outside the hearing room.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow from Michigan said that an Obama nominee “stepped down for much less than what we have in front of us.”

Seven Members of the Committee, actually present, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of discussing business. Nine Members of the Committee, including at least two Members of the minority, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting business. No bill, matter, or nomination shall be ordered reported from the Committee, however, unless a majority of the Committee is actually present at the time such action is taken and a majority of those present support the action taken.

Yep, but that is a Senate rule, like the 60 vote cloture rule, that can be changed with a simple majority vote.

They could use the D’s boycott as a rationale to change the rule.

Make the quorum simple majority, and no need for other Party representation, for all business conducted in regularly scheduled committee meetings, bump the requirement up for extraordinary meetings (to prevent partisan shenanigans like calling meetings with little or no warning, or after-hours, to ensure the other side misses them).

And Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) has promised to filibuster any SCOTUS nominee Trump proposes. Because that’s not hyper-partisan or crybaby-ish, or something.

Part of me wants to see Trump call him to the carpet on that. Put up someone so flamingly liberal that no Republican will vote to confirm, and force people like Merkley to either keep his promise and filibuster someone they might otherwise support, or sit down, shut up, and let the grown-ups talk.

(Obviously, the stakes are too high to actually risk doing this, but I can dream. 😉 )

Someone once pointed out that saying you’ll oppose anything someone else wants puts you in a very weak position; indeed, they control you and can make you do whatever they wish. All they have to do is ask for the opposite.

I hope the Dems are prepared for the action that their childish boycott is going to cause. The cabinet positions not filled will have to be run by lower level appointees by Trump just like in the DoJ. This means that there will be no professional accountability from Secretaries and only low-level bureaucrats will be blamed for screw ups. It always amazes me that Dems ALWAYS put their ideology and party ahead of country.

It seems like a motion to discharge would be in order here. Force the nominations to the floor for a vote. If that doesn’t work, then McConnell should adjourn the Senate and let Trump recess appoint all the waiting cabinet members.

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